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THE  LSSBARY 

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UWrcaaiTQFlLUWB 


Gods  and  Heroes  of  Japan 


BY 


HELEN  C.  GUNSAULUS 
Assistant  Curator  of  Japanese  Ethnology 


FIELD  MUSEUM  OF  NATURAL  HISTORY 

CHICAGO 
1924 


'tUMblS 

Field  Museum  of  Natural  History 

Department  of  Anthropology 

Chicago,  1924 
Leaflet  Number  13 

Gods  and  Heroes  of  Japan 

Each  year  from  July  1st  to  October  1st  there  is  on 
view  in  Gunsaulus  Hall  (Room  30,  Second  Floor),  a 
group  of  wood-block  prints  (Series  III)  which  illus- 
trate certain  of  the  gpds  and  heroes  of  the  Japanese 
people.  These  prints  are  of  the  type  known  as  suri- 
mono,  cards  of  greeting  made  for  special  occasions  and 
more  fully  described  in  Leaflet  No.  11.  Any  limited 
selection  such  as  this  one  can  claim  to  be  only  an  in- 
troduction to  a  subject  which  is  almost  limitless  in  its 
inclusion.  In  this  leaflet  mention  is  made  solely  of 
those  deities  and  heroes  who  appear  pictured  in  this 
group  of  prints ;  acquaintance  may  be  made  with  many 
more  interesting  characters  by  a  study  of  the  decora- 
tions on  certain  sword-mounts  installed  in  Gunsaulus 
Hall. 

Any  approach  to  the  study  of  the  deities  wor- 
shipped or  reverenced  in  Japan  must  of  necessity  pre- 
suppose some  acquaintance  with  at  least  three  religions 
which  for  centuries  have  made  their  impression  on  the 
hearts  and  minds  of  the  people  of  that  country.  These 
three  systems  of  faith  are  Shintoism,  Buddhism,  and 
Taoism.  Confucianism  has  had  a  much  more  vital 
influence  on  Japanese  life  than  has  Taoism,  but  the  for- 
mer religion  is  essentially  a  code  of  ethics  in  which 
emphasis  is  put  upon  the  social  and  political  duties  of 
man  rather  than  upon  a  personal  relationship  be- 
tween himself  and  any  god  or  gods.  There  is  con- 
sequently no  Confucian  pantheon  in  the  sense  that 

[69] 


2  Field  Museum  of  Natural  History 

we  have  a  Shinto  or  a  Buddhist  pantheon.  A  supreme 
ruler,  Shang  Ti,  is  recognized.  Confucius  himself  is 
reverenced  and  honored,  but  not  worshipped.  The 
evidences  of  Confucian  influence  are  apparent  not  so 
much  in  the  attitude  of  the  Japanese  toward  super- 
natural beings  as  in  their  reverent  devotion  to  purely- 
historical  personages  who  on  account  of  bravery,  self- 
sacrifice,  and  loyalty  have  become  recognized  as  na- 
tional heroes.  In  the  later  pages  of  this  leaflet,  this 
influence  will  be  illustrated. 

One  of  the  extraordinary  traits  of  the  Japanese 
mind  lies  in  the  fact  that  a  man  may  at  one  and  the 
same  time  be  Shintoist,  Buddhist  and  Confucianist. 
This,  however,  is  not  so  strange  as  it  at  first  appears, 
for  it  will  be  remembered  that  when  Buddhism  was  in- 
troduced into  Japan  in  the  sixth  century,  the  early  pro- 
tagonists, anxious  to  propagate  the  new  religion,  "gen- 
erously" coordinated  with  the  Buddhist  pantheon  many 
of  the  Shinto  gods,  thereby  stilling  in  the  minds  of  the 
doubtful  any  scruples  which  they  might  have  had  about 
deserting  the  deities  of  their  ancestors.  Buddhism 
not  only  accomplished  the  fusion  of  Shinto  deities  into 
the  Buddhist  pantheon,  but  also  taught  of  a  way  of  sal- 
vation, a  hope  and  doctrine  undeveloped  in  the  Shinto 
religion  whose  main  teaching  was  honor  for  the  gods 
and  obedience  to  the  emperor.  Confucianism  in  turn 
offered  rules  for  daily  living.  Thus  each  of  these  three 
systems  of  faith  emphasized  a  different  principle.  As 
an  illustration  of  the  comparative  harmony  in  which 
three  religions  may  dwell,  Hokusai  has  left  a  surimono 
full  of  meaning  and  beauty.  It  hangs  on  the  south 
wall  of  the  room,  and  its  most  striking  note  is  a  large, 
rugged  maple-tree  beneath  which  three  travellers  are 
seated.  From  the  fallen  leaves  they  have  kindled  a 
fire  over  which  they  have  heated  a  pot  of  wine  (sake) . 
These  three  men  are  conceded  to  be  Buddha,  Confucius, 

[70] 


Gods  and  Heroes  of  Japan  3 

and  Lao-tse  tasting  the  wine  of  life.  One  of  these 
philosophers  finds  it  sweet,  one  sour,  and  the  third 
finds  it  bitter,  thus  showing  that  the  same  principle — 
the  meaning  and  value  of  life — may  be  interpreted 
in  various  and  contrasting  ways.  y 

SHINTO  DEITIES 

Unlike  Buddhism,  Confucianism  and  Taoism, 
which  were  imported  from  India  and  China,  Shinto  is 
the  native  religion  of  Japan;  that  is  to  say,  it  was 
evolved  out  of  a  combination  of  the  nature  myths  of  the 
earliest  inhabitants,  together  with  the  emperor-wor- 
ship which  was  brought  to  the  islands  by  the  conquer- 
ing Yamato  race  in  the  early  Christian  era.  Shinto  is 
the  Chinese  term  for  Kami  no  Michi  which  means 
"the  way  of  the  gods."  Kami  means  that  which  is 
above,  and  therefore  is  a  term  applied  to  the  nature 
deities,  the  emperors  and  certain  other  human  deities 
who  together  make  up  the  Shinto  pantheon.  The  doc- 
trine, if  such  it  may  be  called,  is  outlined  in  the  book 
called  the  Kojilji  ("Record  of  Ancient  Matters"),  writ- 
ten in  the  year  a.d.  712,  and  in  the  Nihongi  ("Chron- 
icles of  Japan"),  a.d.  720.  The  Kojiki  has  been  styled 
"the  Bible  of  Shinto."  The  first  section  opens  with  an 
account  of  the  creation  in  which  Japan  is  made  the 
centre  of  the  world — the  "spontaneously  congealed 
island,"  which  was  formed  by  the  drops  falling  from 
the  spear  of  Izanagi  and  Izanami  as  they  stood  upon 
the  floating  bridge  of  heaven.  These  gods  descended 
to  the  island  and  there  became  the  creator  and  creatrix 
of  all  the  spirits  which  abound  in  nature. 

The  supreme  deity  of  the  Shinto  pantheon  is  the 
Sun-Goddess,  Amaterasu,  who  sprang  into  being  from 
the  eye  of  her  father  Izanagi.  She  is  acknowledged  as 
the  heavenly  ancestor  of  all  the  emperors  of  Japan, 
for  it  was  her  "August  Grand-child"  who  descended  to 

[71] 


4  Field  Museum  of  Natural  History 

earth  to  rule  over  the  "Central  Land  of  Reed  Plains" 
and  whose  descendant  was  the  first  emperor,  Jimmu. 
Rarely  are  any  of  the  deities  who  preceded  Amaterasu 
depicted  either  in  painting  or  in  sculpture.  Even  the 
story  of  the  Sun-Goddess  is  much  more  often  recalled 
by  the  presence  of  certain  symbols  which  represent 
her  rather  than  by  likenesses  of  the  deity  herself.  The 
most  dramatic  incident  in  her  career  was  her  flight 
from  her  mischievous  brother,  Susano-wo,  the  god  of 
the  sea,  who  later  went  to  dwell  in  the  nether-land. 
He  was  a  jealous  and  impetuous  fellow  who  continually 
tormented  his  sister.  One  day  while  busy  weaving 
the  garments  of  the  gods,  he  crept  to  the  roof  of  the 
weaving  hall  and  let  down  among  the  maidens  the  reek- 
ing hide  of  a  piebald  horse.  So  great  was  the  terror 
of  the  Sun-Goddess,  that  she  fled  to  a  cave  and  closed 
herself  in,  thereby  robbing  the  land  of  all  sunlight  and 
causing  eternal  night  to  prevail.  Thereupon  "the  eight 
hundred  myriad  deities"  assembled  together  to  entice 
the  Sun-Goddess  from  the  cave.  The  cocks  were 
brought  to  crow,  suggesting  to  the  goddess  that  day 
had  dawned  even  without  the  rising  sun.  A  mirror 
was  forged  from  the  "Heavenly  Metal  Mountains;" 
jewels  and  offerings  of  cloth  were  hung  upon  the  sa- 
cred sakaki  tree,  and  a  dancer,  by  name  Uzume,  danced 
before  the  door  of  the  "Heavenly  Rock  Dwelling," 
much  to  the  amusement  of  the  gods.  Hearing  the 
commotion  and  laughter  without,  the  Sun-Goddess 
opened  the  rock  door  to  see  what  could  be  pleasing 
the  deities  from  whom  she  had  withdrawn  her  pres- 
ence. On  inquiry  she  was  told  that  there  was  among 
them  one  more  illustrious  even  than  she.  At  this 
moment  the  mirror  was  pushed  forward,  and  Ama- 
terasu, astonished  at  the  glory  of  the  reflected  face, 
came  forth  from  the  cave  to  gaze  upon  it.  Hastily  a 
straw  rope  was  drawn  across  the  entrance  of  the  cav- 

[72] 


OF  THE 


Gods  and  Heroes  of  Japan  5 

ern,  and  she  was  thus  prevented  from  returning;  day- 
light was  again  restored  to  the  earth.  The  straw  rope 
(shimenaiva)  is  seen  on  New  Year's  day.  A  descrip- 
tion of  its  form  and  usage  is  given  in  Leaflet  11. 

Three  interesting  prints  by  Hokkei  are  hanging 
upon  the  north  wall  and  illustrate  this  story.  In  the 
first,  a  drummer  may  be  seen  beating  upon  a  large 
drum.  In  the  second,  two  white  fowl  stand  by  the  side 
of  one  of  the  gods,  Saruto  Hiko  no  Mikoto,  he  who 
dwelt  at  the  eight  crossroads  of  heaven.  According 
to  the  early  records,  this  god  had  a  nose  seven  hands 
in  length  and  a  back  whose  length  was  more  than  seven 
fathoms.  He  emitted  a  refulgence  which  reached 
upwards  to  the  Plain  of  Heaven  and  downwards  to  the 
"Central  Land  of  Reed-Plains."  He  it  was  who  later 
met  the  descending  "August  Grand-Child"  as  he  jour- 
neyed from  heaven  to  the  earthly  country.  None  of 
the  gods  dared  to  face  Saruto  Hiko  no  Mikoto  and 
subdue  him,  save  the  brazen  dancer  Uzume  who  liter- 
ally stared  him  out  of  countenance  and  so  humbled 
him  that  he  offered  himself  as  a  vanguard  for  the  celes- 
tial visitor.  Uzume  herself  is  pictured  in  the  third 
print,  reproduced  here  (Fig.  1).  She  holds  the  bell- 
rattle  with  which  she  accomplished  her  dance  before 
the  cave  of  the  Sun-Goddess.  Resting  against  her 
shoulder  is  the  gohei,  a  staff  adorned  with  paper  cut- 
tings which  represent  offerings  of  cloth  or  rather  mul- 
berry-bark fibre  used  in  ancient  times  for  clothing. 
Gohei  are  common  to-day  in  Japan  in  Shinto  worship. 
In  the  background  of  this  print  hangs  the  eight-pointed 
mirror  in  which  the  Sun-Goddess  saw  her  radiant  re- 
flection. Tradition  tells  us  that  it  was  given  by  Ama- 
terasu  to  her  grandchild  with  the  admonition  that  he 
take  it  to  earth  and  regard  it  as  if  it  were  her  august 
spirit.  The  mirror  is  one  of  the  three  imperial  treas- 
ures of  Japan  and  is  guarded  in  the  temple  at  Ise, 

[73] 


6  Field  Museum  of  Natural  History 

where  it  is  worshipped  from  afar,  being  kept  covered 
by  a  series  of  silken  wrappings  and  enclosed  in  a  cov- 
ered shrine  surrounded  by  many  fences. 

The  "August  Grandchild"  married  and  had  several 
children,  one  of  whom,  "His  Augustness  Fire-Subside," 
descended  to  the  Palace  of  the  Sea  Deity.  There  he 
married  the  daughter  of  the  Ocean  Possessor,  who  was 
named  Toyo-tama-hime.  She  and  her  father  are  both 
pictured  in  this  series  of  prints;  she,  attended  by  an 
old  dragon  as  she  comes  to  draw  water  from  the  well ; 
he,  clothed  in  gorgeous  robes  with  the  dragon's  head 
surmounting  his  flowing  red  hair.  The  story  runs 
that  just  prior  to  the  birth  of  her  child,  Toyo-tama- 
hime,  begged  "His  Augustness  Fire-Subside"  not  to 
look  upon  her,  whereupon,  according  to  one  account, 
she  turned  into  a  crocodile ;  according  to  another,  a 
dragon.  Her  request  was  not  obeyed,  and  on  account 
of  her  shame  at  having  been  seen  in  her  true  form,  she 
left  the  shore  whither  she  had  come  and  returned  to 
the  palace  under  the  sea.  The  child  who  was  born  was 
left  in  the  care  of  a  younger  sister  of  the  Sea  Princess, 
and  he  became  the  father  of  Jimmu  Tenno,  the  first 
human  sovereign  of  Japan. 

It  has  been  pointed  out  by  W.  G.  Aston  in  "Shin- 
to" (p.  115) ,  that  several  features  of  this  story  betray 
recent  origin  and  foreign  influence,  such  as  the  palace 
in  the  sea-depths  and  the  Dragon-king,  which  are 
Chinese.  He  adds,  "The  comparatively  modern  char- 
acter of  this  important  link  in  the  genealogy  which 
traces  back  the  descent  of  the  Mikados  to  the  Sun- 
Goddess  confirms  the  view  that  the  so-called  ancestor- 
worship  of  the  ancient  Japanese  is  a  later  accretion 
upon  what  was  in  its  origin  a  worship  of  the  powers 
of  nature." 

[74] 


Gods  and  Heroes  of  Japan  7 

There  were  many  reasons  for  the  coordinating  of 
the  nature  myths  and  the  emperor-worship  into  a  care- 
fully outlined  theory.  These  legends  and  traditions 
were  retold  with  a  purpose,  and  that  purpose  was 
the  theoretical  establishment  of  the  imperial  regime. 
Times  were  by  no  means  peaceful  prior  to  the  seventh 
century.  Tribes  were  struggling  for  supremacy,  and 
it  was  necessary  for  the  emperor  to  assure  his  power. 
By  A.D.  712  when  the  Kojiki  was  committed  to  writ- 
ing, Buddhism  was  rapidly  absorbing  many  of  the 
native  gods,  and  kami  were  losing  their  identity  as  they 
came  to  be  regarded  as  incarnations  of  Buddha.  One 
has  only  to  recall  that  the  personality  of  the  Sun-God- 
dess, the  supreme  deity  of  Shinto,  was  in  danger  of 
being  completely  submerged  as  she  was  becoming  iden- 
tified with  the  Buddhist  Dai-Nichi  or  Amida. 

In  the  early  ninth  century  there  peacefully 
emerged  out  of  this  conflict  of  the  two  religions,  Shinto 
and  Buddhism,  a  mixed  doctrine  known  as  Ryobu- 
Shinto  ("Twofold  Way  of  the  Gods").  In  it  Kobd 
Daishi,  a  priest,  attempted  the  reconciliation  between 
the  ancient  traditions  of  the  divine  ancestors  and  the 
teachings  of  the  Indian  cult.  Through  this  process  of 
amalgamation,  for  hundreds  of  years,  Shinto  was  very 
nearly  swallowed  up  within  Buddhism.  Ryobu-Bud- 
dhism  is  a  much  more  correct  term  for  this  admixture. 
For  several  centuries  the  emperor  himself  was  a  de- 
voted adherent  to  the  Indian  religion;  many  of  the 
rulers  retired  into  monasteries  and  became  Buddhist 
monks.  Much  of  the  merging  of  Shinto  in  Buddhism 
was  accomplished  through  the  medium  of  art.  Shinto 
knew  next  to  nothing  of  artistic  representation.  Bud- 
dhism came  into  Japan  in  the  form  of  gorgeous 
temples,  noble  sculptures  and  glorious  paintings  which 
depicted  a  pantheon  varied  enough  to  coincide  with 
the  many  ideas  that  had  been  formulated  concerning 

[75] 


8  Field  Museum  of  Natural  History 

most  of  the  native  deities.  Those  Shinto  gods  who 
were  not  individually  coordinated  with  Buddhist  dei- 
ties were  catalogued  under  the  general  term  of 
"Gongen"  or  temporary  manifestations  of  Buddha. 
This  designation  was  applied  to  deified  forces  of  na- 
ture and  to  certain  national  heroes  in  the  ensuing 
centuries.  The  shogun  Tokugawa  Iyeyasu  is  quite  as 
often  called  by  the  name  Gongen  Sama.  Emperors 
were  known  as  Tenno  ("Heavenly  King")  or  Ten  shi, 
("Son  of  Heaven"),  names  which  were  retained  for  the 
supreme  ruler,  even  after  the  revival  of  pure  Shinto 
and  the  downfall  of  Ryobu-Buddhism  in  the  last  cen- 
tury. 

THE  SEVEN  GODS  OF  GOOD  FORTUNE 

As  W.  E.  Griffis  tells  us  in  his  "Religions  of 
Japan"  (p.  216),  "Ryobu  Buddhism  is  Japanese  Bud- 
dhism with  a  vengeance.  Take  for  example,  the  little 
group  of  divinities  known  as  the  Seven  Gods  of  Good 
Fortune  which  forms  a  popular  appendage  to  Japanese 
Buddhism  and  which  are  a  direct  and  logical  growth 
of  the  work  done  by  Kobo  as  shown  in  his  Ryobu  sys- 
tem." These  popular  deities,  known  by  the  name 
Shichifukujin,  are  nominally  a  Buddhist  assemblage, 
but,  in  truth,  they  come  from  four  distinct  sources: 
Shintoism,  Buddhism,  Brahmanism,  and  Taoism.  They 
are  in  evidence  in  almost  every  Japanese  home,  cer- 
tain of  them  appearing  on  the  "god-shelf."  They  may 
be  studied  in  a  group,  as  they  are  pictured  celebrating 
the  New  Year  together  in  Fig.  2. 

At  the  left  of  the  picture  is  seated  Benten  or  Ben- 
zai  Ten,  the  only  female  deity  of  the  company.  She 
is  usually  identified  with  Sarasvati,  goddess  of  elo- 
quence and  learning,  the  wife  and  female  energy  of 
Brahma.  She  is  again  said  to  be  Miyo-on-ten-niyo, 
Goddess  of  the  Beautiful  Voice,  who  may  be  either 

[76] 


THE  LIB8A8Y 

OFTHS 

nrasmr  bf  mm 


FIG.   3.     FUDO  RESCUING  ENDO  MORITO. 
BY  KUNISADA. 


Gods  and  Heroes  of  Japan  9 

Japanese  in  origin,  or  an  adaptation  of  one  of  the  mu- 
sicians of  the  god  Indra.  Again  Benten  is  occasionally 
identified  with  a  Shinto  deity,  Ukemochi  no  Kami,  pro- 
tector of  food.  In  this  print  we  are  told  by  one  of  the 
poems  that  a  visit  is  to  be  made  to  the  deity  Ukemochi 
no  Kami.  In  the  background,  in  the  raised  recess,  there 
is  a  covered  stand  surmounted  by  a  coiled  white  snake 
having  the  head  of  an  old  man.  This  peculiar  form  of 
serpent  is  often  pictured  on  the  crown  of  Benten; 
therefore  one  must  suppose  that  the  artist,  Hokusai, 
had  identified  the  two  deities,  Benten  and  Ukemochi 
no  Kami,  as  one  and  the  same.  In  Buddhist  paintings 
Benten  usually  wears  as  a  crown  a  Shinto  gate  or  torii 
beneath  which  the  white  snake  is  coiled.  The  torii  is 
visible  here  in  front  of  the  high  coiffure.  The  rest  of 
her  appearance  does  not  tally  with  the  usual  Buddhist 
conception  wherein  she  is  depicted  either  with  the 
sword  and  gem,  or  with  eight  arms  holding  various 
symbols.  In  secular  representations  she  is  generally 
pictured  in  flowing  robes,  wearing  a  small  tiara,  and 
holding  a  stringed  instrument.  Such  a  conception  is 
given  us  in  a  print  by  Hokkei  in  the  Museum  collection. 

Ebisu,  the  patron  of  fishermen,  is  seated  next  to 
Benten  in  the  picture  under  study.  He  is  arranging 
a  huge  fish  for  suspension,  likely  as  a  present  to  the 
shrine.  He  is  generally  identified  with  the  Shinto  god, 
Hiruko,  though  certain  scholars  label  this  association 
as  erroneous,  and  say  that  his  origin  is  unknown. 
Hiruko  was  the  leech-child  of  Izanagi  and  Izanami,  a 
being  so  weak  that  at  three  years  of  age  he  was  yet  un- 
able to  stand,  and  was  therefore  abandoned  and  set 
adrift  in  a  reed  boat.  Ebisu  is  usually  pictured  as 
vigorous  and  happy,  dressed  in  Japanese  costume  and 
generally  carrying  a  fish  or  a  fishing  rod. 

The  most  popular  of  the  Seven  Gods  of  Fortune 
is  the  god  of  wealth,  Daikoku,  who  stands  in  the  centre 

[77] 


10  Field  Museum  of  Natural  History 

of  this  group.  He  is  holding  a  ceremonial  arrange- 
ment of  rice  puddings,  rice  being  one  of  the  symbols 
of  wealth.  The  jewel,  the  key  to  the  store-house,  and 
the  bag  of  treasures  are  also  associated  with  him.  An- 
other of  his  attributes  is  the  magic  hammer  whose 
blows  create  riches.  This  object  is  to  be  found  in  the 
other  representations  of  him  which  are  on  view,  es- 
pecially prominent  on  top  of  the  rice  bale  which  the 
reclining  god  holds  upon  his  upstretched  feet  in  an 
amusing  print  by  Hokusai.  The  rat,  though  a  de- 
vourer  of  rice,  is  usually  associated  with  the  god  of 
wealth.  This  is  because  the  "day  of  the  rat"  in  the 
Japanese  calendar  is  sacred  to  Daikoku.  The  rodent 
is  usually  of  the  white  variety  as  in  a  print  by  Keisai, 
where  it  is  being  petted  by  a  young  woman  who  sits 
next  to  Daikoku  as  he  counts  up  his  riches  on  the 
abacus.  In  all  the  representations  of  this  happy  deity 
it  will  be  noted  that  the  lobes  of  his  ears  are  extremely 
large.  This  is  a  mark  of  divinity  given  also  to  others 
of  the  Shichifukujin.  Daikoku  is  said  to  be  the  Japan- 
ese adaptation  of  the  Brahmanic  deity  Mahakala,  the 
black-faced  god  placed  before  the  gates  of  Buddhist 
temples.  Unlike  that  stern,  dignified  deity,  who  is  the 
protector  of  the  realm,  Daikoku  is  represented  as  a 
sturdy,  smiling  figure  dressed  in  ancient  Chinese  cos- 
tume. The  only  resemblance  between  these  two  gods 
is  that  each  is  sometimes  portrayed  with  a  blackened 
face.  The  name  "Daikoku,"  as  written,  means  the 
"Great  Black  One."  There  is,  however,  another  com- 
bination of  Chinese  characters  which  can  be  read  either 
"Dai  Koku"  or  "0  Kuni"  and  which  mean  "Great 
Realm."  These  characters  are  those  used  for  writing 
the  name  of  the  Shinto  god  of  land,  known  as  0  Kuni- 
nushi  no  Kami.  On  this  insecure  platform,  the  Bud- 
dhist Dai  Koku  ("Great  Black  One")  has  been  identi- 
fied with  the  Shinto  0  Kuni  nushi  no  Kami  ("God  of 

[78  j 


Gods  and  Heroes  of  Japan  11 

the  Great  Realm").  This  instance  serves  as  an  illus- 
tration of  the  blending  of  religions  in  Japan.  It  is 
also  a  concrete  example  of  the  fact  that  when  Bud- 
dhism came  to  China  it  had  absorbed  much  of  the 
Brahmanic  pantheon  and  came  on  into  Japan  twofold, 
so  to  speak,  and  equipped  to  absorb  within  itself  many 
of  the  native  deities  of  that  land. 

Another  of  the  Seven  Gods  of  Good  Fortune,  who 
came  in  the  train  of  Buddhism  into  Japan,  is  Bishamon 
Ten  or  Tamon  Ten,  who  is  seen  in  the  background  of 
the  picture  (Fig.  2).  Though  of  martial  guise  and 
called  the  patron  of  the  warrior,  he  is  not  primarily  a 
military  deity,  but  is  regarded  as  another  god  of 
wealth.  He  wears  a  helmet  and  cuirass,  and  is  gener- 
ally equipped  with  a  long  spear  which  he  holds  in  his 
left  hand.  In  his  right,  he  usually  bears  a  pagoda. 
In  this  representation  he  is  placing  the  pagoda  before 
the  shrine  of  Benten  or  Ukemochi  no  Kami.  The  Sev- 
en Gods  are  not  regarded  with  the  awe  and  dignity 
that  one  would  think  appropriate  for  deities.  They 
are  very  often  treated  in  a  humorous  manner,  and 
commonly  Bishamon  is  pictured  as  making  love  to  the 
goddess  Benten.  Undoubtedly  that  idea  is  herein  sug- 
gested, as  we  see  the  dignified  deity  placing  his  pagoda 
at  the  foot  of  the  shrine  whereon  Benten's  white  snake 
is  coiled.  In  Buddhism,  Bishamon  or  Tamon  Ten  is 
known  as  Vaicravana,  one  of  the  four  kings  of  Heaven, 
who  guard  the  four  sides  of  the  mountain  Sumeru,  the 
axis  of  the  universe.  He  is  also  identified  with  Ku- 
bera,  the  Brahmanic  god  of  Wealth,  who  was  con- 
verted by  Buddha  and  henceforth  known  as  Vaicra- 
mana. 

The  three  of  the  Seven  Gods  who  remain  to  be 
mentioned  are  all  adoptions  from  China.  They  are 
seated  at  the  right  of  the  picture,  and  are  delightedly 
fixing  a  ceremonial  arrangement  for  the  shrine.    The 

[79] 


12  Field  Museum  of  Natural  History 

two  bearded  figures  are  Jurojin,  wearing  the  black 
cap,  and  Fukurokuju,  an  old  man  with  an  extremely 
high  forehead.  Both  of  these  deities  are  Taoist  in 
origin,  and  their  identities  seem  hopelessly  mixed.  Each 
of  them  is  said  to  represent  the  founder  of  the  Taoist 
doctrine,  Lao-tse.  Both  are  symbolical  of  longevity,  and 
both  have  the  same  attributes — the  tortoise,  the  crane, 
and  the  deer.  Jurojin  usually  carries  a  staff,  which 
here  lies  on  the  floor  beside  him.  To  it  is  generally 
attached  a  scroll.  A  Chinese  legend  makes  of  him  the 
spirit  of  the  Southern  Star  of  Longevity. 

Fukurokuju  whose  name  means  "wealth,  pros- 
perity and  long  life"  is  considered  the  god  of  wis- 
dom on  account  of  his  remarkably  shaped  head.  His 
figure  is  that  of  a  dwarf.  He  is  depicted  as  a  more 
genial  deity  than  Jurojin,  and  is  often  to  be  seen 
heartily  laughing,  or  gaily  travelling  through  the  sky 
on  the  back  of  a  flying  crane.  Popular  legends  have 
also  associated  him  with  the  South  Pole  Star. 

The  j  oiliest  god  of  the  group  is  Hotei,  the  friend 
of  children  and  a  deity  who  is  greatly  beloved  by  the 
populace.  His  extremely  fat  figure  is  only  partially 
covered  with  a  flowing  robe,  his  head  is  shaven,  and 
he  usually  carries  a  flat  fan  of  Chinese. form.  He  is 
possessed  of  many  treasures  to  attract  his  admirers, 
and  these  are  encompassed  in  a  huge  bag  which  hangs 
over  his  shoulder  or  upon  which  he  sleeps.  "Hotei" 
means  "cloth  bag,"  which  in  Chinese  reads  "Pu  Tai," 
the  name  by  which  this  deity  is  known.  Pu-Tai  Ho- 
Shang  ("Cloth  Bag  Priest")  was  a  Chinese  monk  who 
is  said  to  have  lived  in  the  tenth  century.  He  received 
his  name  from  the  sack  which  he  carried,  in  which  he 
was  wont  to  poke  all  sorts  of  eatables  collected  on  his 
journeys.  In  China  his  smiling  image  is  to  be  seen 
in  the  Buddhist  temples,  where  he  acts  as  a  guardian. 
In  certain  connections  he  has  been   identified  with 

[80] 


Gods  and  Heroes  of  Japan  13 

Maitreya,  the  coming  Buddha,  an  erroneous  associ- 
ation which  has  been  explained  by  the  legend  that  he 
is  thought  to  have  referred  to  himself  when  he  once 
said  that  Maitreya  had  a  hundred  myriad  forms  and 
appeared  to  people  who  knew  nothing  of  it. 

FUDO  AND  HIS  ATTENDANTS 

The  imposing  figure  of  Fudo,  as  seen  in  Fig.  3, 
furnishes  a  marked  contrast  to  the  informal  and  famil- 
iar treatment  given  to  the  Seven  Gods  of  Good  Fortune, 
whose  images  commonly  appear  in  the  household  of 
Japan.  This  Buddhist  deity  is  generally  to  be  seen 
only  in  temples  portrayed  in  a  dignified  statue  or  in 
some  rare  painting.  The  name  of  Fudo  means  the 
"Immovable  One."  According  to  the  teachings  of  one 
sect  of  Buddhism,  he  is  a  manifestation  of  Buddha  in 
his  more  formidable  and  indignant  moods.  He  holds 
a  sword  and  rope  which  are  symbolic  of  readiness  to 
menace  and  restrain  all  evil-doers.  He  is  surrounded 
by  a  halo  of  flames  which  typify  wisdom.  Though  to- 
day recognized  as  a  guardian  deity  of  Buddhism,  he  has 
been  identified  both  with  the  Brahmanic  Qiva  and 
again  with  the  Hindu  god,  Indra.  He  is  usually  pic- 
tured as  appearing  above  a  waterfall  which  is  indi- 
cated in  this  print  by  Kunisada  by  vertical  lines  of  blue 
and  silver.  At  the  great  temple  of  Fudo  in  Narita, 
the  cold  water  ordeal  is  indulged  in  by  devotees  of  this 
god.  At  Meguro  there  is  a  smaller  temple  to  Fudo, 
where  a  meritorious  penance  consists  in  standing  for 
several  hours  in  cold  weather  beneath  a  waterfall  in 
the  temple-yard,  thereby  washing  away  all  taint  of  sin. 
Such  a  performance  is  illustrated  in  this  picture.  Fudo 
is  generally  accompanied  by  two  attendants,  one  of 
peaceful  feminine  aspect,  the  other  a  severe  looking 
masculine  figure.  Each  has  his  own  attribute.  The 
gentle  figure,  who  goes  by  the  name  of  Kongara,  bears 

[81] 


14  Field  Museum  of  Natural  History 

a  lotus,  and  is  said  to  embody  the  sustaining  power  of 
Fudo.  The  other  figure,  usually  colored  a  strong  red, 
carries  a  large  club,  and  typifies  the  subjugating  power 
of  the  "Immovable  One."  The  qualities  of  kindliness 
and  forgiveness  have  been  attributed  to  this  deity  who 
at  first  glance  has  such  a  terrifying  exterior.  The 
story  runs  that  he  and  his  attendants  came  to  the  res- 
cue of  a  penitent  who  had  become  frozen  after  stand- 
ing for  three  days  beneath  a  certain  waterfall.  This 
penitent  was  none  other  than  the  warrior  Endo  Morito, 
who  is  pictured  in  Fig.  3.  This  twelfth-century  hero 
had  fallen  in  love  with  Kesa,  the  wife  of  Watanabe 
Wataru,  and  was  determined  that  he  would  wed  her. 
Loyal  to  her  husband  she  resisted  his  suit,  whereupon 
Endo  Morito  vowed  that  he  would  slay  her  family,  if 
she  did  not  allow  him  to  enter  the  house  at  night  and 
kill  the  husband  while  he  slept.  Kesa  agreed  to  this 
alternative,  but  secretly  set  about  making  a  plan  to  save 
Watanabe  Wataru.  One  night,  her  husband  being 
away,  she  made  an  appointment  with  Endo  to  come 
to  her  house.  Slipping  into  the  silent  room,  Endo 
hastily  severed  the  head  from  the  reclining  body  and 
soon  discovered,  to  his  horror,  that  he  had  killed  the 
pure  and  loyal  Kesa  herself  as  she  lay  disguised  in  her 
husband's  clothes.  In  repentence  and  grief  Endo  be- 
came a  priest,  and  sought  to  expiate  his  sins  by  stand- 
ing beneath  the  waterfall,  counting  his  rosary  and  hold- 
ing in  his  teeth  the  Buddhist  bell  with  thunderbolt 
handle. 

SOME  NATIONAL  HEROES 

Loyalty  such  as  Kesa  evinced  for  her  husband, 
loyalty  of  a  retainer  for  his  feudal  lord,  loyalty  of  a 
daughter  who  makes  the  supreme  sacrifice  in  order  to 
relieve  the  distress  of  a  poverty-stricken  parent,  all 
such  exhibitions  of  self-effacement  from  a  sense  of  duty 

[82] 


Gods  and  Heroes  of  Japan  15 

and  devotion,  have  long  been  held  up  in  Japan  as  ideals 
of  moral  attainment.  Much  of  this  reverence  for  loy- 
alty can  be  traced  to  the  influence  of  Confucius,  whose 
teachings  may  be  summed  up  in  the  doctrine  called  the 
"Five  Relations";  sovereign  and  minister,  father  and 
son,  husband  and  wife,  elder  brother  and  younger 
brother,  and  friends.  From  the  sixteenth  century  on, 
there  was  a  decided  difference  between  Confucianism 
in  Japan  and  Confucianism  in  China.  Whereas  in 
China  the  basis  of  the  Confucian  system  was  filial 
piety,  in  Japan  the  loyalty  as  expressed  between  sov- 
ereign and  minister,  lord  and  retainer,  master  and 
servant,  became  the  corner-stone  of  personal  righteous- 
ness. To  be  sure,  filial  piety  was  strongly  developed 
in  Japan.  Even  to-day  sons  and  daughters  are  brought 
up  to  recognize  the  "Twenty-four  Paragons  of  Filial 
Virtue,"  who  are  Chinese  children  whose  sacrifices  for 
their  parents  form  some  of  the  most  touching  accounts 
of  human  relationships.  Four  of  the  Twenty-four 
Paragons  are  pictured  in  prints  by  Hokkei. 

The  extreme  loyalty  between  retainer  and  lord 
was  due  to  the  elaborate  system  of  feudalism  which 
was  evolved  in  Japan  from  the  twelfth  century  on  up 
to  the  middle  of  the  nineteenth  century.  For  four  hun- 
dred years  the  feudal  lords  and  their  retainers,  who 
made  up  a  very  large  part  of  the  population,  had  been 
engrossed  in  wars  civil  and  foreign.  In  this  time  there 
had  developed  an  exaltation  of  bravery  and  self-sac- 
rifice in  battle  which  practically  amounted  to  a  re- 
ligion. This  philosophy  went  by  the  name  of  Bushido 
("the  way  of  the  warrior").  Whereas  Confucianism 
had  taught  peace,  Bushido  glorified  war,  but  beneath 
both  of  these  philosophies  ran  the  same  refreshing 
stream — the  principle  of  loyalty.    To  follow  one's  lord 

[83] 


16  Field  Museum  of  Natural  History 

in  death  by  committing  suicide  was  a  common  prac- 
tice for  a  loyal  retainer.  Self-abnegation  was  de- 
veloped to  such  a  degree  that  warriors  frequently  took 
their  own  lives  in  order  to  bring  into  public  notice 
their  disapproval  of  a  civic  situation,  or  to  call  atten- 
tion to  the  fact  that  they  had  been  thwarted  in  a  public 
duty.  Stories  of  brave  warriors  were  constantly  told 
to  the  rising  generations,  and  many  historical  char- 
acters became  exalted  into  national  heroes,  paintings 
and  statues  of  whom  are  to-day  reverenced  with  a  de- 
vout admiration. 

There  very  often  appears  in  Japan  a  group  of 
three  Chinese  heroes  who  have  been  adopted  by  the 
Japanese  as  examples  of  loyalty  between  friends,  and 
models  of  national  integrity.  These  men  who  lived 
in  the  second  century  and  who  plighted  their  allegiance 
to  one  another  in  a  peach  orchard,  are  represented  in 
several  surimono  in  the  Museum,  hanging  in  a  series 
on  the  north  wall.  One  of  the  heroes  is  always  de- 
picted with  a  flowing  black  beard;  this  is  Kwan-yii, 
deified  as  the  God  of  War  in  China,  where  he  goes  by 
name  of  Kwan-ti.  His  two  companions  are  Gentoku 
(Liu  Pei)  and  Chohi  (Chang  Fei).  The  former  is 
usually  drawn  with  a  gentle  countenance  consistent 
with  the  stories  of  filial  sacrifice  which  are  told  of  him 
in  early  youth.  Though  he  had  a  humble  beginning,  he 
rose  to  note  in  his  lifelong  warfare  against  the  usurp- 
er Ts'ao  Ts'ao.  Finally  he  proclaimed  himself  em- 
peror of  China,  and  with  the  assistance  of  his  loyal 
companions  held  great  power  up  until  his  death.  Chohi 
rose  from  the  trade  of  a  butcher  and  wine-seller  to  be 
a  leader  in  the  wars  of  the  Three  Kingdoms.  He  was 
a  very  clever  tactician,  several  times  saving  his  sol- 
diers and  himself  by  a  misleading  ruse.  He  is  pictured 
with  fan-like  beard,  flowing  hair,  and  generally  carries 
a  straight  double-edged  spear. 

[84] 


THE  LIBRARY 
OF  Tit 

xm&m  b?  aiaois 


Gods  and  Heroes  of  Japan  17 

An  interesting  group  of  surimono  by  Hokusai 
hangs  at  the  west  end  of  Gunsaulus  Hall.  In  these 
prints  the  artist  has  made  a  comparison  between  some 
of  the  heroes  of  China  and  Japan.  One  of  them  pictures 
the  two  patriots,  Hanrei  (Fan  Li)  and  Kojima  Taka- 
nori.  Both  of  these  men  were  loyal  supporters  of  their 
emperors,  each  of  whom  had  come  into  disfavor.  In 
the  print  referred  to,  both  heroes  hold  brushes  and  ink- 
wells in  their  hands,  preparatory  to  writing  messages 
to  their  respective  sovereigns.  The  story  runs,  that 
when  the  Japanese  emperor,  Go  Daigo,  was  going  into 
exile,  Kojima  Takanori,  remembering  the  loyalty  of 
the  Chinese  Hanrei  for  his  emperor  Kosen,  wrote  a 
message  upon  the  trunk  of  a  cherry-tree  past  which  he 
knew  his  beloved  sovereign  would  be  led  by  his  cap- 
tors. It  read,  "0  Heaven,  do  not  destroy  Kosen  while 
Hanrei  lives."  In  this  veiled  message  Go  Daigo  recog- 
nized the  devoted  hand  of  Kojima,  and  it  is  said  that 
he  went  into  exile  greatly  sustained  by  this  pledge  of 
fealty.  Another  of  these  prints  by  Hokusai  (Fig.  4) 
tells  the  stories  of  a  Chinese  boy,  Se-ma  Kwang,  known 
in  Japan  as  Shiba  Onko,  and  of  the  Japanese  general, 
Shibata  Katsuiye.  The  boy,  who  is  cited  as  an  unusual 
example  of  quick-wittedness,  one  day,  in  company  with 
several  others,  was  looking  into  a  deep  jar  wherein 
some  goldfish  were  swimming.  One  companion,  los- 
ing his  balance,  fell  into  the  jar  and  was  about  to 
drown.  All  the  children  ran  away  in  terror  except 
Shiba  Onko,  who  took  up  a  rock,  broke  the  vessel,  and 
allowed  the  water  to  escape.  The  story  of  Shibata 
Katsuiye  also  centers  around  the  breaking  of  a  jar. 
This  famous  sixteenth-century  general  while  being 
besieged  in  the  castle  of  Chokoji  was  unable  to  obtain 
any  fresh  water  for  his  soldiers  to  drink.  Thinking  to 
stimulate  their  courage,  he  led  them  into  a  hall,  where 
there  stood  a  jar  of  water  kept  for  emergency.     After 

[85] 


18  Field  Museum  of  Natural  History 

giving  them  each  a  satisfying  drink,  he,  without  taking 
any  himself,  took  his  spear  and  broke  the  jar  and  let 
the  water  escape.  A  sortie  was  immediately  made, 
and  he  and  his  men  emerged  victorious. 

In  passing,  it  is  of  interest  to  study  the  armor 
typical  of  the  Japanese  warrior.  It  consists  of  several 
separate  pieces:  the  helmet;  mask;  gorget;  cuirass 
with  appended  hip-pieces,  four  or  more  in  number; 
sleeves  of  mail;  shoulder-guards;  thigh-guards; 
greaves  and  boots  of  metal  or  of  leather.  The  body 
of  the  suit  itself  is  made  of  metal  or  leather  laminae 
or  of  bands  simulating  laminae  laced  together  with 
brightly  colored  silk  braid.  The  breast  plates  are 
often  of  embossed  metal  or  painted  leather.  The  hel- 
mets are  sometimes  surmounted  with  crests  and  flar- 
ing wings  as  in  the  case  of  that  worn  by  the  fully 
armed  warrior  in  Fig.  5.  Here  we  see  Kato  Kiyomasa, 
seated  upon  a  tiger  skin,  and  holding  the  folding  fan 
with  the  red  sun-disk  upon  it,  an  instrument  used 
by  generals  in  signaling  commands.  At  his  left  is  his 
long,  forked  spear;  over  his  shoulder  may  be  seen  his 
brace  of  arrows;  projecting  behind  him  is  his  fighting 
sword  (katana)  which  is  thrust  through  his  belt  along 
with  the  short  sword  (wakizashi)  whose  hilt  is  visible 
in  front.  His  crest  (a  circle  with  the  centre  cut  out) 
appears  on  his  red  trousers,  on  his  sleeves,  and  on  his 
helmet.  Fixed  in  a  brace  in  the  immediate  foreground 
of  the  picture  is  a  standard  (umajirushi) ,  a  banner 
formerly  carried  by  the  commander  of  an  army. 

Kato  Kiyomasa  lived  in  the  sixteenth  century  and 
led  the  expedition  against  Korea.  He  directed  the 
campaign  with  such  ferocity  that  the  Koreans  gave 
him  the  name  "devil  warrior."  His  fierce  expression 
in  this  portrait  by  Shuntei  seems  to  have  completely 
subdued  the  Korean  envoy  who  is  prostrated  before 
him. 

[86] 


Gods  and  Heroes  of  Japan  19 

Among  the  other  national  heroes  who  are  repre- 
sented in  the  prints  may  be  recognized  the  following: 

Kaneko,  a  woman  of  great  strength  is  pictured 
holding  a  runaway  horse  by  the  simple  process  of 
standing  with  her  foot  upon  the  halter  of  the  rearing 
animal.  This  same  character  is  often  depicted  with  a 
struggling  enemy  whose  arm  she  has  tightly  grasped 
beneath  one  of  her  own  arms.  At  the  same  time,  she 
successfully  carries  upon  her  head  a  bowl  filled  to  the 
brim. 

Tomoye  Gozen  is  another  heroine  renowned  for 
her  strength,  as  well  as  for  her  devotion  to  her  lord, 
Kiso  Yoshinaka,  whom  she  followed  into  battle,  fight- 
ing at  his  side.  One  enemy  she  struggled  with  and  es- 
caped from,  leaving  only  her  sleeve  in  his  hand.  A 
second  opponent  she  beheaded,  and  a  third,  who  at- 
tacked her  with  a  pine-tree  in  lieu  of  a  war  club, 
found  himself  outclassed  in  strength,  as  the  heroine 
twisted  the  tree  trunk  and  broke  it  into  splinters. 

Asahina  Saburo  was  the  son  of  Tomoye  Gozen 
and  inherited  her  undaunted  bravery  and  excelling 
vigor.  He  is  sometimes  shown  swimming  with  a  live 
carp  under  each  arm  or  hurling  large  rocks  at  his 
enemies.  In  one  picture  in  this  series,  the  big  hero 
is  playing  with  a  child  who  celebrates  the  New  Year 
with  his  new  toy,  a  wagon  in  the  form  of  the  treasure 
ship  (takarabune) ,  the  magic  vehicle  of  the  Seven  Gods 
of  Good  Fortune.  In  the  other  print,  Asahina  is  seen 
in  his  trial  of  strength  with  Goro  Tokimune,  the  elder 
of  the  Soga  brothers,  who  sought  to  enter  the  banquet 
hall  and  save  his  younger  brother  Juro  Sukenari  who 
was  in  danger.  The  Soga  brothers  lived  in  the  early 
thirteenth  century,  and  are  respected  as  loyal  sons 
who  avenged  the  murder  of  their  father.  They  are 
sometimes  pictured  as  children  kneeling  on  the  beach, 

[87] 


20  Field  Museum  of  Natural  History 

where  they  escaped  being  beheaded  through  the  inter- 
vention of  Hatakeyama  Shigetada.  At  the  ages  of 
twenty  and  eighteen,  these  brothers  made  their  way 
through  a  furious  storm  to  the  tent  of  their  father's 
murderer,  Suketsune,  and  there  in  the  night  they  ac- 
complished the  deed  for  which  they  both  gladly  gave 
their  lives. 

Two  twelfth-century  heroes  are  Kagekigo  and 
Kunitoshi  who  are  pictured  by  Hokkei.  They  are 
dressed  in  full  armor,  and  are  seen  fighting  on  the  sea- 
shore at  the  battle  of  Yashima,  which  occurred  in 
1185.  Kagekiyo,  renowned  for  his  power  and  vigor, 
is  pulling  off  the  neck-piece  of  the  armor  of  Minamoto 
Miyo  no  Yashiro  Kunitoshi.  Kagekiyo  was  later  exiled 
by  the  Minamoto,  and  his  closing  days  form  the 
touching  theme  of  a  famous  drama. 

Legends  of  fantastic  forms  have  been  woven 
about  several  historical  characters.  So  many  tales 
have  been  told  about  Benkei,  a  warrior  of  the  twelfth 
century,  said  to  have  been  eight  feet  tall,  that  one 
doubts  if  this  fascinating  fellow  ever  existed  and  was, 
as  he  is  reputed  to  have  been,  the  retainer  of  the  great 
hero,  Minamoto  no  Yoshitsune.  Benkei,  on  account  of 
his  boisterous  ways,  was  also  known  by  the  name  of 
Oniwaka  ("Young  Demon").  When  a  youth,  he  proved 
his  strength  by  overcoming  a  huge  fish  in  a  waterfall. 
This  incident  is  told  in  a  print  by  Hokkei.  Though 
said  to  have  been  a  wandering  priest,  he  is  pictured  as 
stealing  the  bell  from  the  temple  of  Miidera  and  as 
fighting  with  all  the  travelers  who  crossed  Gojo  bridge, 
conquering  nine  hundred  and  ninety-nine  of  them, 
being  beaten  only  by  Yoshitsune  whose  loyal  hench- 
man he  became. 

It  is  said  that  Yoshitsune's  skill  at  fencing  was 
due  to  his  having  been  trained  by  the  forest  sprites 
(tengu) ,  some  of  whom  are  pictured  in  Fig.  6.    These 

[88] 


FIG.  6.     WATANABE  FINDING  KINTOKI  IN  THE  WOODS. 
BY  HOKKEI. 


m  ummn 

OF  TO 


Gods  and  Heroes  of  Japan  21 

beings  with  bird-like  bodies  often  have  faces  of  long- 
nosed  men.  They  are  said  to  haunt  the  forests  and 
the  mountains,  where  they  dwell  with  their  ruler  Ku- 
rama  Yama  no  Sojobo,  a  tengu  with  long  beard  and 
moustaches.  In  this  print  by  Hokkei  they  are  flying 
in  front  of  a  waterfall  which  splashes  down  from  a 
high  cliff.  Above,  at  the  right,  stands  the  hero,  Wata- 
nabe  no  Tsuna,  who  may  be  recognized  by  his  crest, 
three  dots  over  the  digit  one.  To  him  many  famous 
deeds  are  attributed.  He  was  the  loyal  retainer  of 
Minamoto  no  Yorimitsu,  popularly  called  Raiko,  a 
tenth-century  hero,  who  is  said  to  have  slain  hosts  of 
demons  and  goblins.  Raiko  and  Watanabe  pursued  to 
death  the  Shutendoji,  the  Goblin  King,  a  fearfully 
wicked  giant  whom  they  drugged  and  slaughtered 
while  he  dined  in  his  mighty  palace  hall.  The  story 
is  recalled  in  a  print  by  Hokkei,  where  the  full-armed 
Raiko  is  startled  by  the  falling  of  a  kite  whereon  the 
head  of  the  goblin  is  pictured.  Sometime  after  the 
slaying  of  the  Shutendoji,  Raiko  and  Watanabe  met 
a  new  foe  in  the  shape  of  a  goblin  spider.  Both  heroes 
were  enveloped  in  thick,  white  webs  which  almost  suf- 
focated them,  but  in  time  they  cut  their  way  through 
and  tracked  the  beast  to  a  cave  and  there  slew  him. 
Thinking  that  all  the  malevolent  creatures  were  killed, 
Watanabe  disbelieved  the  statement  that  a  demon  ap- 
peared nightly  at  Rashomon  gate  in  Kyoto.  Sticking 
up  a  challenge  on  the  gate  post  one  rainy  night,  the 
hero  took  his  place  and  awaited  the  enemy.  He  soon 
dozed  off,  but  was  suddenly  awakened  by  a  tug  at  his 
helmet.  He  hastily  drew  his  sword,  and  slashing  it  in 
the  dark,  struck  something  which  uttered  a  violent 
shriek  and  hurried  away  leaving  behind  a  huge  arm. 
This,  Watanabe  took,  secreting  it  in  a  box  and  refus- 
ing to  let  any  one  see  it.  One  day  an  old  woman  came, 
and  claiming  to  be  the  hero's  nurse,  prayed  to  see 
what  he  kept  in  the  strong  box.    At  first  he  hesitated, 

[89] 


22  Field  Museum  of  Natural  History 

but  persuaded  by  her  constant  entreaties,  he  opened  the 
casket  only  to  see  the  old  woman  turn  into  a  witch, 
seize  the  severed  arm  and  fly  out  of  sight. 

In  Fig.  6  we  see  Watanabe  standing  amazed  at  the 
strength  of  the  young  boy  Kintaro  or  Kintoki.  The 
legend  runs  that  this  boy  of  golden  color  was  found 
in  the  woods  by  the  forest  nurse,  Yamauba,  who  is 
pictured  at  the  foot  of  the  waterfall.  His  playmates 
were  the  hare,  the  monkey,  and  the  deer.  The  other 
animals  of  the  forest,  particularly  the  bear  and  the 
wild  boar,  he  overcame  when  but  a  small  lad.  Very 
early  in  life  he  evinced  his  enormous  strength  by  push- 
ing over  a  huge  pine-tree  which  he  wished  to  use  as  a 
bridge  for  transporting  his  companions  over  a  rushing 
stream.  It  was  during  this  performance  that  Wata- 
nabe happened  on  the  scene.  He  was  so  impressed 
by  the  youth's  power,  that  he  begged  the  boy  to  join 
his  ranks  and  follow  him  in  his  efforts  against  the  gob- 
lins and  demons.  Kintoki  was  overjoyed,  and  there- 
upon left  his  mountain  home  and  accomplished  much 
in  ridding  the  country  of  evil  influences. 

A  few  other  characters  must  be  mentioned  as  great 
favorites,  two  especially  whose  stories  are  woven  into 
famous  theatrical  performances,  known  as  No  plays. 
One  is  the  poor  fisherman  Hakuryo  who  has  the  for- 
tune of  seeing  the  angel  of  the  moon  on  the  pine-clad 
shore  of  Mio  no  Matsubara.  Hokusai  has  left  a  long 
surimono  in  which  this  story  is  eloquently  told.  The 
fisherman  is  seen  as  he  finds  a  feather  robe  hanging 
in  a  tree.  Thinking  to  take  it  home  as  a  treasure,  he 
is  interrupted  by  the  appearance  of  a  beautiful  maiden 
who  claims  it  as  her  own.  Assured  that  this  creature 
is  a  fairy,  he  is  all  the  more  anxious  to  retain  the 
magic  garment  and  refuses  to  give  it  up  to  her  until 
she  tells  him  that  she  can  never  return  to  her  heavenly 
palace  without  it.    Hakuryo  is  touched  by  her  beauty 

[90] 


Gods  and  Heroes  of  Japan  23 

and  her  appeal,  and  finally  agrees  to  let  her  have  it 
if  she  will  dance  for  him.  The  fairy  then  takes  the 
robe  and  performs  many  dances,  and  at  length  her  feet 
miss  the  ground,  and  she  floats  flutteringly  upward 
until  she  is  lost  to  view. 

The  old  man  and  woman  portrayed  in  a  print  by 
Hokkei  are  known  as  the  aged  couple  of  Takasago. 
Around  their  story  has  been  woven  a  drama  of  great 
beauty  and  popularity.  It  is  also  of  interest  to  recog- 
nize them  as  they  appear  on  the  occasion  of  a  wedding, 
placed  on  a  ceremonial  stand  beneath  a  miniature  pine- 
tree,  associated  with  a  crane  and  tortoise,  emblems  of 
longevity.  These  aged  people  are  said  to  be  spirits  of 
the  great  pine  at  Takasago  on  Osaka  Bay.  The  old 
tree,  though  springing  from  a  single  root,  has  a  bifur- 
cated trunk  which  has  been  adopted  as  an  auspicious 
emblem  of  a  happy  wedded  life  of  long  duration.  The 
story  goes  that  the  fisherman's  daughter,  Matsuo,  was 
one  day  seated  beneath  her  favorite  pine-tree  near  the 
shore,  when  there  was  washed  up  on  the  beach  the 
partially  drowned  figure  of  a  youth  named  Teoyo. 
This  adventurous  lad  had  watched  from  the  opposite 
shore  of  Sumiyoshi  the  flight  of  a  heron,  and  had  en- 
deavored to  follow  the  bird  by  swimming  across  to 
Takasago.  Matsuo  soon  resuscitated  the  youT;h  and 
laid  him  on  a  bed  of  pine  needles  which  she  had  raked 
up.  In  a  few  weeks  the  young  couple  were  wedded 
and  lived  for  many  years  beneath  the  pine-tree,  where 
even  now  their  spirits  are  said  to  return  on  moon- 
light nights. 

Helen  C.  Gunsaulus. 


[91] 


UNIVERSITY  Of  IUJNOW-URB ANA 


3l0l11l2lQ55,3g61,94 


